Heated Gems
by startswithgoodbye9412
Summary: What happens when there is a tiny gem around your neck that tells you when you have found your soul mate? Will Chloe ever find who she is supposed to spend forever with or is she just an unlucky one? Will Beca be the one?
1. Chapter 1

"Chloe, it's time to get pack!" My mother yelled cheerfully up the stairs. It was my fourth and final year at Barden University and I couldn't help but wish it to be done. I sighed one last time and placed the last picture frame in the fragile box and taped it up. I had exact three hours before I absolutely had to leave and head over to the campus to settle in.

"I'm already packed." I told my mother as I bounded down the stairs with a forced smile.

"Don't worry, it won't be too much longer." She told me with sympathy as she watched me fiddle with the necklace that hung around my neck. It was a simple gem on a black string that was given to me when I was born. I wasn't the only one to be given this, everybody receives one at birth.

"I just don't know how much longer I'm willing to wait. I mean, shouldn't I have already meet the person. You met dad when you were fourteen! I'm twenty-one, Mom." I whispered. I fiddled with the cold gem willing it to turn hot. "I've tried everything. I joined every club on campus at least once; I just don't know what else to do." I was beginning to become hopeless. I just wanted to know that I wasn't going to be one of the unlucky few that never feel the heat of the gem against their chest.

"It won't be too much longer." My mother repeated sternly. I couldn't help but notice the disappointment flash through her eyes for a brief second. "You never know. You might meet them tonight." She winked at me before turning back to the stew. "Why don't you head off now? I'm sure Aubrey is already there waiting for you." I sighed, knowing that she was right and headed off to the car.

The ride to Barden was only thirty minutes, but for some reason the city decided to start obnoxious construction work all over the town. I watched out my window as the cars passed freely on the other side of the road. I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealous pass through my gut whenever I saw a couple singing in a car or just being in a car together in general. I hated how something so small could control so much of my life.

"Why can't I just be normal for once in my life?" I whispered to no one in particular. Ever since I was a little girl in school, I have been nothing but abnormal. I was never the typical brunette or blonde little girl with chocolate eyes. I was a redhead with piercing blue eyes and although I know that isn't a bad thing, it always made me stand out amongst my group of so called friends.

"Chloe, I can't believe you are actually here early." I heard Aubrey say to me once she realized I opened the door. I shot her a glare and threw the only bag that I had to carry onto the bed. "Why aren't you all chipper? It is after all our final year here! Aren't you excited to actually be able to start a life?" She was still turned around and didn't notice the tears rolling down my face as she continued. "I mean think about it! We can finally settle down start a family and everything." Of course Aubrey was excited to start a life. She didn't have anything to worry about. She had met her soul mate when she was eighteen at a local supermarket and had been with him ever since.

"I guess," I half shrugged and turned away from her to catch the tears that had fallen from my eyes. I didn't want her pity, but I didn't really want to hear her gloat about what she was going to do with her life. I knew what I wanted out of life, but I didn't know if it could actually achieve that. "I'm going to go walk around." I reached for my phone and room key before I started to the door.

"Do you want me to go with you? I could always come back and finish this later." Aubrey stated as she took a few steps towards the door. I nodded blankly and waited for her to follow me through the doorway before starting on my path again. "It will happen, I promise you." Aubrey whispered to me. I guess my internal battle was hidden from everyone but her. "You just have to find the right person. I mean you only have ever been around here, you have the whole country to go through."

"Can we please not talk about this? Please?" I tried again. I didn't want to have to hear the same speech she had given me for the past three years. I wanted to actually find someone and not have to worry about what life was going to have for me. When I noticed Aubrey nod her head, I sighed and looked over at the people setting up the various booths for the activity fair. I smiled as the memory of my very first activities fair came flooding into my head. Aubrey and I had our first outing as friends that day.

"Do you want to go and get the stuff for the activities fair?" Aubrey decided to change the subject. I smiled enthusiastically and grabbed her by the hand to the familiar booth.

"It's time to see what aca-bitches are going to join us this year." I told her, excitedly. I guess it was the only thing in my life that didn't go wrong all the time.

* * *

Okay, so let me know what you think! I don't want to continue this if there isn't anyone that wants it. The next chapter will be longer if I receive people wanting to read more. thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, I am going to continue this and see where this goes! I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read, review, favorite, and follow this story! It really does mean a lot to me. I believe that I sent out all the previews to the ones who reviewed with a username and for those who didn't, I'm sorry, I didn't know how to reach you! But anyway, here is the next chapter so I hope you enjoy (: **

"How many does that make?" I groaned to Aubrey as yet another girl walked by the booth without stopping. It had been nearly three hours of just greeting the random people walking about the activities fair. "We aren't going to find anyone that is going to join." I knew that I was being over dramatic, but I couldn't help but realizing that it was most likely not going to find enough people to join.

"Chloe, it's only the first day. Some students don't even come the day before to see the options." Aubrey was always the realistic one in the group. She was always the one to bring me to my senses, but today, I just couldn't help but be a little hopeless.

"I'm going to go get something to drink, do you want anything?" I figured a few minutes away from the despair that the booth was bringing would be good for me. I walked swiftly towards the vending machines, trying to avoid the mass of bodies that were going in all sorts of different directions. I grimaced at the grass as yet another foot stepped on the back of mine for the third time in the short two minute walk. "Could you please watch where you are going?" I shot at the person that was walking too close for comfort behind me.

"Geez, someone needs to take a chill pill." The stranger sneered before forcing himself around me to continue his journey. I never understood why people were always on the move. Granted, I wanted nothing more but to hurry up and find my soul mate before time would run out, but I still never understood why parents were always living in the same routine every day. Once someone finds out who she is going share forever with, why would she just set into some senseless routine? Why wouldn't she want every day to be a magical as the day her gem heated?

"Gosh, Chloe, why do you do this to yourself? You are so hopeless sometimes." I said as I smacked my forehead. I couldn't understand why I just didn't move passed the falling in love portion of my life and started the successful part. Why couldn't I just live one day with true happiness?

When I finally reached the vending machine, I noticed that there was a couple silently arguing with each other off to the side. I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion. The gems didn't make mistakes when it came to picking out a forever and no one fights with her forever. Being the curious one I am, I decided to pretend to have an internal debate about which soda would be the best one to consume and listen to the fight.

"Jesse, I don't understand why you just won't let me be about it!" The smaller girl that was dressed in dark wash skinny jeans and a blue and green plaid button up softly yelled to the boy. The girl was clenching and unclenching her fist in a steady rhythm while the boy tried to get her to understand whatever his point was. "I don't need anyone to make me happy. This stupid thing around my neck proves it!" Oh, so she was fighting with him about the forever gems. I smirked a little when my brain began to realize that I wasn't the only one without a soul mate.

"You can barely take care of yourself! What happens when you are out there on your own and there is no one to help you? I've already be picked, what are you going to do without me?" By the look on the boy's face, I could immediately tell that he went too far. I watched as the small girl grit her teeth and spin on her heal.

"Let's just find out, shall we?" The amount of venom in her voice could have easily killed an average sized human with a single bite. I knew exactly where she was coming from, but even I didn't have the nerve to speak to anyone like that when I was offended. I watched as the boy tried his hardest to catch up with the now sprinting girl and silently hoped that he could talk some sense into her. Some people had to live without a soul mate, but no one should have to live without at least one so called friend.

After finally deciding on a bottle of Sprite, I decided that heading back to Aubrey would probably be the best thing before she sent out a search party. I made that mistake once when I got extremely drunk at a fall mixer and ended up across town in a random swimming pool. I chuckled to myself lightly and skipped to where Aubrey was standing.

"Well, someone has a little pep I her step." She looked at me slightly amused. I wanted so badly to tell her that I was sort of happy that there is someone else on this campus that knows exactly how I feel, but I really didn't want the usual "You can't be happy because someone else has the same problem as you, you should feel sympathetic towards them" lecture I received every time I mentioned it.

"I'm just trying to be positive for these auditions!" I tried to change the subject off of the one raging in my mind. I watched as doubt flickered through Aubrey's mind before she decided not to press forward on the matter.

"I know! I think we could possibly have some really good potential in this year's candidates!" She had a glimmer of hope shining in her eyes when she talked about this year. It was no secret that after being so close to winning last year, we were definitely going to do everything in our power to win this year.

"Sounds great!" I told her in my chipper voice. "Let's keep flyering though? I don't want to be without options!" I reminded her. She looked at me, a little shocked that I decided then to use some common sense and nodded her head before handing me another stack of papers.

"What about her?" I used my chin to notice the same small framed girl that I hate eavesdropped on a little while ago. I knew that there was something more that she was hiding about not finding anyone and I wanted to know it. I mean, the least I could do is make sure this girl and I were never without a friend.

**Thank you for reading! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as much as the last! (: Chloe and Beca will meet soon, don't worry! But anyway, review and let me know what you think of the story so far! (:**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for reading the last update! I hope you enjoy this one as well! (: I don't think I am going to be continuing sending out the previews for the reviews, unless you guys would still like them. Let me know which would be the best! **

"What about her?" I used my chin to notice the same small framed girl that I had eavesdropped on a little while ago. I knew that there was something more that she was hiding about not finding anyone and I wanted to know. I mean, the least I could do is make sure this girl and I were never without a friend.  
"Her? Chloe, why would you want someone like her to be in our group? We do have some dignity left, you know?" I knew that as soon as I pointed out the girl, Aubrey would freak. She wasn't one to adapt to change very well. "Come on; let's just pack it up right now." Aubrey tried to break my gaze by tugging gently on my arm.  
"What is so wrong about her?" I was truly curious as to why she wasn't open to this particular girl. I mean, granted this girl had a few too many piercings and she looked like a rebel without a cause, but still, I hated how she always judged a book by its cover. "Hi there, would you like to join our a cappella group?" I decided to take a chance on her.  
"And that is?" She wasn't necessarily rude but she was definitely lacking some people skills. I drifted my eyes from her head to her toes and decided that, beneath all of the alternative style, she could definitely pass the Barden Bella physical appearance test.  
"It's a singing group." I shrugged off the answer. I didn't want her to think that it was humiliating before she even agreed to audition. "We sing covers of songs and perform them at competitions." I decided that generically answering the question was the best way to at least get her to stay a few more minutes. "This is Aubrey, by the way." She smiled tightly at Aubrey before turning her attention back to me with a raised eyebrow.  
"So what you are telling me, is that you guys are just going to be singing generic pop songs for a group of people just to have them make fun of you on paper? Sorry, but that isn't my idea of a fun time." I watched in amusement as Beca tried her hardest to knock down the self-esteem of Aubrey.  
"Aca-scuse me?" Aubrey butted in before I could attempt to answer the rhetorical question Beca had asked. I smirked as I watched Aubrey's face contort with anger. "I'm sorry, but I was right from the beginning, you wouldn't fit in anyway." Aubrey smirked smugly at the shocked expression on the brunette's face. "Now if you will excuse us, we have to find people that will actually work with our group." With that, Aubrey turned on her heel and stomped away with purpose and continued to harass the people that passed by the booth.  
"Is she always like that?" Beca finally spoke up after a while. I looked at her and furrowed my eyebrows. I knew exactly what she meant, but I figured that if she was going to say something that could possibly offend me, I would be able to use it to my advantage.  
"What do you mean?" I tried to coax something out of her. I watched as she closed her eyes and drew in a few breaths before she finally had a blank expression shielding her face.  
"I just meant is she always trying to get into another person's head? If I hadn't already known that I was an amazing human being, I probably would have been very hurt by the way she talked to me." I was slightly disappointed that she didn't use anything that could have allowed me to guilt her into auditions so I decided to just stay silent and hope that she would somehow spill out some word vomit. "But she's right, I probably won't fit in."  
"So you are going to just let her win? You aren't going to audition because someone told you that you might not fit in the ridiculous standard." I hadn't meant for the last part to come out as a statement rather than a question, but I couldn't help but be a little aggravated that the small girl in front of me was so quick to conform with someone else's opinion.  
"Wait, I didn't say I wasn't going to audition, I just said it wasn't my idea of a good time and that I wouldn't fit in with the idea Aubrey had in her head." I felt myself smile slightly at the way she didn't deny that she was going to audition. "Hold up right there before you go smiling and splitting your face. I didn't say that I was going to go either. I'll make you a deal. If you can find out my name and which dorm I am staying in before the auditions, then I will audition." She stated smugly.  
"Deal and I'll see you at auditions." I told her with confidence and turned on my heel to walk over to where Aubrey was still trying to get people to sign up.  
"Maybe it is hopeless..." She sighed out in defeat. I corked my eyebrow back up and looked her over from head to toe. The Aubrey that I have grown to know was never one for giving up. She was always the persistent one and usually that persistence was the only thing that kept us going. "All I'm saying is that maybe people just don't want to join campus clubs anymore." I glanced over at another a cappella group and then back to Aubrey. "Okay, maybe no one wants to join us." She sighed in defeat again.  
"Come on, I'm sure we can find enough girls. Look, we already have eight girls signed up, so if they can actually sing, we are going to be okay." I tried to assure her, but with the way she was grimacing at the paper; I knew that it was probably not going to work unless I somehow convinced her that the looks didn't really matter anymore. "You know what I love about the way we choose our soul mates?" It was her turn to contort her face in confusion. "I love it because for at least once in our life we don't have to choose someone based on physical attraction. We don't have to worry about whether or not people will wonder why a social standard pretty person is with someone who isn't a social standard pretty person. It's because the gem can detect personalities. It's because for once, you don't have to worry about physical appearances because you already know that you are going to love that person no matter what." I watched as her expression turned into complete understanding with each word.  
"I guess you're right. When did you get so wise anyway?" She tried to break the heavy tension that always was present when the gems were involved. I smiled and reached for the necklace that decided my fate.  
"Aubrey, I don't know where my gem is!" I felt panic take over my entire body as I checked all of my pockets frantically. This really couldn't be happening. I knew that it was probably useless for me, but I still needed to have just a little hope even for just a little longer.

**So there it is! I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think (:**


	4. Chapter 4

"Aubrey, I don't know where my gem is!" I felt panic take over my entire body as I checked all of my pockets frantically. This really couldn't be happening. I knew that it was probably useless for me, but I still needed to have just a little hope even for just a little longer.

"It's going to be okay, Chloe." She tried to calm me. "We'll find it, I promise." She tried again when my eyes started to fill with excessive amounts of water.

"What if we don't, Aubrey? I can't live without knowing. At least when it's around my neck, I can pretend that there is someone out there for me!" I knew that it wasn't her fault, but I needed to take my anger out on something. "I can live in my fairytale world and just hope that someone will want me for me. I just want to be able to hope that a gem will begin to heat when someone looks at me. I want to pretend that I'm not going to grow up alone." I didn't care how many secrets I had just put out in the open. I wanted her to know how badly it hurt knowing that you would never be someone's choice. I wanted her to hurt with me in uncertainty. I wanted to be selfish and make her feel the pain that I had grown accustomed to feeling. "How can I do that when I don't have my gem? What if someone's gem starts to heat, but they think it's someone else because I look like I have already found someone?" My voice began to rise to a pitch that only a dog could hear correctly.

"Chloe, I promise you, we will find it, okay? I'm not going to let my best friend lose hope." Aubrey tried to smile at me, but it turned into a face of complete sympathy. I grimaced at her and turned away to look around on the ground before me. "Where was the last place you had it?" Aubrey stated in what sounded like a general's voice.

"I don't remember, I think at the vending machines?" I honestly couldn't remember where I felt it last. I couldn't believe that I was stupid enough to wear it on the outside of my shirt. I didn't want to cool reminder against my chest skin, but why couldn't I remember that the heat can't be felt through clothes.

"Okay, let's look there first. What about that girl you were talking to? Do you know where we could find her? Maybe she can remember if you were wearing it when you were talking?" Aubrey kept spitting off questions at me as we continued to the vending machines. I mentally smacked my forehead when I realized that in order to find the girl, I had to find out some things about her.

"I don't know who she is. She didn't tell me her name or anything. The only thing that I could get out of her was a compromise." I sighed out. I felt my heart pick up speed as the vending machines came into view. I looked over at the quad and noticed the happy and carefree couples sprawled out on the grass and the few hopeful students reading unknown material to try and get a jump start. "If I could find out her name and dorm by auditions, she would audition, that was the bet we made." I don't know why I was slightly embarrassed by the bet, but I could feel my cheeks suddenly fill with a pink tint.

"Are you being serious right now, Chloe?" Aubrey looked at me. I nodded and bowed my head, suddenly extremely interested in the rock by my feet. "Okay, well, we still have to check the vending machines, but if we can't find it, you kind of need to find her." I looked at Aubrey in disbelief. I was well aware that I needed to find this girl, but the sternness in her voice only fueled my anxiety. I nodded once more and began to search the bushes by the vending machines.

"I know I do, Aubrey, but what if I can't?" I was being extremely melodramatic, but I couldn't help it. I needed to feel the cool metal chain encasing my neck loosely. I needed to feel the light pendant dangling from it. I needed to know that the hope was still around me and not missing. "It's not here." I muttered in despair. "I guess I'll just look for that girl." I waved her off before walking idly to the quad. I looked around once more, hoping that she would magically appear and make my life easier, but I guess fate was never on my side.

"Come on, where are you?" I whispered to myself. I knew that the students around me thought that I looked like a creeper, but I couldn't help it. I needed to know where she went, not only for my gem, but for auditions. She was perfect for the Bellas.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry," a voice apologized after I ran into the owner. "I wasn't paying attention." I slowly looked at the man in front of me, taking in his dark washed jeans and gray polo. He smiled awkwardly when I didn't answer and stuck out his hand for me to shake. "I'm Jesse, and you are?" Jesse? Wasn't that the guy's name that was arguing with the shorter girl?

"I'm Chloe. What happened to your friend?" I decided to take a shot in the dark. The worst thing that could come out of this would be saying that he didn't know who I was talking about. "The one you were having a disagreement with earlier?" I tried again. If all else failed, I could lie and say that he reminded me of someone else and then leave the awkward conversation and person behind.

"Who? Beca? She wandered off, I was actually going to find her. Would you like to join me?" He was overly friendly, but I didn't care. I smiled and nodded at him before he gestured for me to continue. "So, how do you know Beca?" He asked after a few moments of silence. I guess he wasn't one for comfortable silence.

"I don't." Honesty was the best policy, so I went for telling him the truth. "She came over to my booth, the Barden Bellas. She made me a compromise that if I could find out her name and dorm room number that she would audition for us. I thought she would fit in well with us, so I decided to make it my mission to find out."

"Are you serious?" He looked at me in utter disbelief. I began to worry about whether or not he was concerned or angry about this. "She would be perfect for it, but she isn't exactly one for joining anything willingly. I'll tell you what. I'll give you her name and dorm room number so you can just surprise her there?" He questioned with a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.  
"I would love that." I told him honestly. I smiled at him politely,

"She lives in room 405 in Baker Hall and her name is Beca Mitchell. Give me an hour to get her back in her room before you head over. I can't wait to see her at auditions! Let me have your number. I want to know what her face looks like when she sees you at her door!" He looked like a kid in the candy store when he pulled out his phone. Once we exchanged numbers, he headed off in the opposite direction.

"Okay, Beca Mitchell, let's see how well you take surprises." I whispered to myself before heading back to Aubrey to tell her the news.

**Here you are :) Let me know what you think! Don't forget to check out my new one shot Never Forgotten and let me know what you think! I'll give out previews for reviewing either that one or this :)  
**


	5. Chapter 5

_"Okay, Beca Mitchell, let's see how well you take surprises." I whispered to myself before heading back to Aubrey to tell her the news._

"Aubrey, I have to go. I know where she is." I recounted the latest events with Jesse and everything that he told me about Beca.

"Well, what exactly are you waiting for, Chlo? Go find your gem!" Aubrey was basically pushing me off in the opposite direction. I chuckled slightly at her attempts and put my hands up in defense as I slowly backed away from the booth. "Oh, don't forget, it's your turn to buy dinner!" I heard Aubrey shout before I was out of hearing range. Of course, she would think about the schedule for later that night rather than just letting something unpredictable to happen.

I walked down the well-traveled path to Baker hall. I smiled as I passed the trees and bushes that used to greet me on my way to my dorm on my first year. I looked down to my chest and silently hoped that it would just show up and have this all be a misunderstanding. It was the one time that I was regretting not listening to Aubrey and hid the gem under my shirt. I grimaced when the familiar scent of musty dorm rooms came flooding in my nose. "That certainly hasn't changed since I was in here." I muttered under my breath. I sighed and headed for the stairs when I realized that it was under the hour time limit Jesse had given me. I couldn't help but think about what would happen if she wasn't observant and didn't notice the necklace around my neck.

_401…402…403…404…Ah 405._ I thought to myself and smirked creepily at the wall in front of me. She had no idea what was coming and I couldn't help but feel a surge of adrenaline pumping through my veins. I placed my ear against the cool wooden door in attempts to try and hear any signs of conversations. I thought quickly through all the possibilities of why I couldn't hear any talking, but instead a soft clicking. I raised an eyebrow before I quickly shook my head to release any other thoughts other than this stupid gem. I knocked lightly at first and then all but pounded quickly on the door as my patience was depleting.

"Beca?" I called when she hadn't come to the door yet. Maybe Jesse couldn't find her and he just didn't let her know in time. Maybe she was lying dead on the floor, surrounded by a pool of her own blood. Okay, so the second thought was a bit extreme, but I couldn't help my mind wonder. I tried the door knob and sighed in relief and terror when the door unclicked and opened slowly. "Beca?" I called again. I let out a breath when I saw her sitting in front of a laptop, completely unaware of the intruder in her room. I smirked to myself when I thought about teaching her a lesson on what could happen if she left her door unlocked again.

I quietly tiptoed over to her and grabbed her shoulders tightly. I couldn't help the hysterical laughter that was pouring out of my mouth when she screamed in terror. I clutched my sides after a few minutes as I tried to get myself calmed down. She glared at me the entire time with her hands placed on her jutting hips. "You should have seen your face! Plus what was that noise that came out of your mouth!" I tried to say in between giggles.

"Are you done?" She asked when my breath was starting to go back to normal. I smiled and nodded after I was completely calmed down. I watched intently as she turned back to her laptop and pressed a few buttons before saving it completely. "What are you doing here?" She asked, truly curious to my presences.

"Don't you remember our deal?" I asked her in a completely obvious tone of voice. There was no way in hell that I was going to let her forget that easily. I smirked when I noticed her fingers twiddled together nervously. "Oh, so you do remember? Are you just trying to see if I remember it? The deal was, in case you need a little refresher, if I could find out your name, Beca Mitchel, and if I could find out your dorm, Baker hall room 405, that you would audition for the Barden Bellas."

"Oh," her face fell for a split second when she realized that she was actually in deep here, but her face returned back to a clever expression. "You actually went through all of that trouble to find out that; I'm honored."

"Well, you would look good in our uniform. Plus I can't wait to see you for the bikini car wash." I winked dramatically at her in confidence.

"Oh, so you are just using me for my body?" She feigned hurt and grabbed at her chest. "But a deal is a deal. When does this thing take place? Like practices and all?" She turned back to her laptop to fiddle with a few more buttons. "How many times a week will I need to be around a bunch of girls?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "What makes you think that you are actually going to make it?" I shot back at her.

"I'm taking you coming here as a sign that you need people to help with your little hobby. Plus I know the co-captain has a thing for me. You see, she went as far as to stalk me in order to personally invite me onto the team."

"I don't even know if you can sing or not. Your face is going to stay like that, you know." I smirked back at her.

"Well, try me."

"Sing for me then." After that, she turned back to her laptop to turn on the familiar beat of David Guetta's Titanium. I waited patiently while she sang the first part of the song before I joined in to sing the chorus. Once the chorus ended, she swiftly turned off the music. "Wow, okay, so maybe you will automatically be in, but you still have to audition." I told her a little shocked that she could sing that well.

"Fine, when are they?" She asked uninterested in the actual answer.

"Saturday at 12:30, see you then!" I told her before turning on my heel to leave. I started back to the door when I noticed something on her bed that looked oddly familiar. I stopped in my tracks before I walked over to pick it up.

"I can explain!" She tried to tell me in panic before I cut her off.

"Why the fuck do you have this?" I was completely livid before a single thought went through my head.

_Why is this burning my hand?_

**This will only be two or three more chapters :) it wasn't meant to be a long story, just a short multichapter. Let me know what you think!**


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